Many stay at home moms want to contribute to daily upkeep, or have their 'own money', but do not know how. Now that the children have resumed in their various schools, you have spare time to bring in something. Below is a list of businesses you can start from home with little or no capital. You can even grow each from here to become that big business
1. Making plantain chips, pop-corn, moimoi, cakes, meatpie and other snacks. You can expand on this by delivering to shops around you
2. Making Drinks: Because people are more aware of effects of sodas in bottles and cans on their health, they tend to go for natural drinks they are sure of the source. Make money out of this by making kunu, zobo, fruit juice, yoghurt and package them very well. Be sure you'll become a household name for drinks when you make them well.
3. Daycare: As many mothers go out these days and good nannies are hard to find, you can run a daycare centre from even your parlour if you love being around kids. Just make sure you maintain a hygienic environment, get some toys, get their beddings and other things needed and you are good to go. It will be wise for you to find out the health history of each child you take in, and also get the necessary approval for running that in your area.
4. Distribution of foodstuffs and daily needs: Stock up with foodstuffs like rice, beans, spaghetti, noodles, vegetable oil, palm oil, stock fish, crayfish, dry fish, yam tubers, onions and go round to those offices you know they do not have time to get these things themselves. In case you do not have enough capital to start that, you could become a personal shopper for them, if you really have a passion for shopping. Ask for their shopping lists and go shop for them for a fee. You'll try to do all this within a timeframe so you'll still have he time for the home and children.
5. Blogging: If you have a flair for writing, you can turn it into a money making venture with time, by blogging. Free sites where you can start include Blogger and Wordpress. You can also do freelance writing and get paid for it by registering on sites like Freelancer, O'Desk and Elance.
6. Livestock Keeping: You can go into keeping a poultry, fishery, or snailery, depending on the space you have. Before starting, make out time to increase your knowledge on anyone you want to venture into, as a wrong handling can result in a big loss in this type of business.
7. Selling Recharge Cards: From home, you can sell recharge cards. Let people know by making a banner in front of the house. You should also include virtual recharging like MTN's VTU. That way you can even load credit for your neighbours when they call for that, but make sure you get your money immediately they come back because this is a typical 'No credit today, come tomorrow' kind of business.
8. Kerosene retailing;With a container, like a drum or tank, for kerosene, stationed in front of your house, people will come to knock at your door and you go out to sell to them. You can source for the product by visiting NNPC mega stations to get at a good price, so you can sell at a good price too.
9. Crafts and Bead Making: Christmas is around the corner and there are other festivities we celebrate in our country like weddings, or Sallah, and people will want to wear jewelleries and beads. Learn to make these for sale and also learn other aspects of bead making like vases, bags etc.
10. Fashion Designing: That sewing machine that your parents gave you when you were going to your husband's house (or you got one yourself), put it to good use by learning how to sew. Make for yourself, family and friends, and before you know it, you'll be making some money out of that.
11. Home Lesson: If you are a graduate and have not been able to find a job,you can start home lesson for children. Get books on the subjects you want to teach, brush yourself up and let people know what you are into. you can even combine this with a daycare. Who knows, it could be the beginning of a big school that will make a name in your town.
12.Selling of clothes and shoes: It can be old or new clothes and shoes, depending on your financial capability. For Second hand (Okrika), source from the major second hand markets in your area and create awareness on it. You could also add used books andelectronics, or toys.
13. Beauty parlour: During our university days, I had this roommate that could fix weave on, shape eye brow and plait different kinds of hairstyles, students were always thronging our room because she could do it very well and no one says you can't replicate that now. You could convert your garage to a salon where you can do the facials, plaiting, fixing, manicure/pedicure etc
Comment below with other businesses stay at home moms can do and share this with friends. Cheers.
